The Space Operation and Surveillance Center (COVE) believes it has solved the mystery. The object that flew over Catalonia on Friday night was neither a ballistic missile from France – as the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC) initially pointed out – nor a Starlink satellite from Elon Musk – as the German air forces pointed out. —. The Air and Space Army has informed the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, that the fireball seen was a meteoroid that approached the atmosphere, bounced off it and was thrown back into space.
This event, which caused a huge stir on social networks, did not at any time pose any threat to Spain, as several heads of the Air Command, who have accompanied, wanted to make clear this Monday at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base (Madrid). to the head of Defense to find out the details of the sighting at COVE, the Spanish center in charge of monitoring and controlling any space object that may pass through the atmosphere.
“We should not alert the population about something that had no foundations,” General Isaac Manuel Crespo insisted. The alarm, as they have agreed to point out, was generated by a CSIC worker, but not by the entire institution.
First it was the CSIC who, through a statement, ruled out that the object that could be seen crossing part of the peninsula was a ballistic missile. Then the German Air Force claimed it would be Elon Musk's Starlink satellite. This possibility is also ruled out by the Air and Space Army, since the billionaire's satellite was not included in a list - which is prepared every month between Spain, Germany, Italy and France - with objects that could represent a danger when approaching. to the earth.
As explained by Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Crespo, head of COVE, this report does not include satellites that weigh less than 300 kilos, such as those of Elon Musk, because when they reach the atmosphere they disintegrate.
Having ruled out these two hypotheses, the Spanish military seems to be quite clear that what flew over Spain was a meteoroid; remains of rock and metal that did not disintegrate upon reaching the atmosphere. The meteoroid skimmed the ionosphere for some time, leaving a trail that can be seen in the videos that were recorded. The “grazing meteoroid,” as it has been called, bounced and was thrown back into outer space.
